Thrombocytopenia is a disorder in which there are too few platelets and the blood does not clot properly. People who have thrombocytopenia may bleed a lot from an injury because they have an abnormally low number of platelets.
Some conditions or diseases lead to thrombocytopenia because they destroy a person's platelets or interfere with their production. Certain medicines may also cause thrombocytopenia. A person who has a low platelet count with no known cause is said to have idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).
Symptoms of thrombocytopenia include:
Treatment for low platelets starts with finding a cause that can be eliminated, such as changing a drug the person is taking or treating an infection. Treatment may include platelet injections into a vein, called platelet transfusion; taking medicines to stop destruction of the platelets; taking medicine that helps the body make more platelets; or surgery to remove the spleen.
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Michele Cronen |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Joseph O'Donnell, MD - Hematology/Oncology |
| Last Updated | December 27, 2007 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise